The following is a statement from University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks regarding the appointment of U of M Vice President for Scholarly and Cultural Affairs Steven Rosenstone as the new chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system:

“It is a great honor for our institution to have key members of our executive team pursued by our peers—and in this case, our sister system of higher education here in Minnesota. Dr. Rosenstone is an outstanding administrator and scholar who, for more than a decade, led the University’s largest and most diverse college, the College of Liberal Arts. He has played an essential role in our efforts to transform the educational experience at the University, to deepen our commitment to affordable access for students of all backgrounds, and to develop long-range strategies for ensuring the University’s future financial vitality.

“He is a creative and strategic thinker and an outstanding leader who is well suited to strengthen the MnSCU system in the 21st century. Of course, MnSCU’s gain is a great loss to the University of Minnesota, but we will celebrate with Dr. Rosenstone and look forward to continued collaboration with him.”

About the blogger

Alex Friedrich reports on higher education issues for MPR News. Among the stories he has covered: the fall of the Berlin Wall, aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, 2003 Moscow suicide bombing and 2004 presidential elections in the Republic of Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s in European political economy from the London School of Economics.